Eating Ethiopian

I've had a small fascination for Ethiopia that, until now, has never been explored. 

I remember back in the 80's watching infomercials on television trying to raise money for “starving kids in Ethiopia.” I still have images in my mind of a gaunt black boy, with flies buzzing around his large head. Those were my first impression of this African country. 

Later I recall seeing it mentioned in the Old Testament as early as the second chapter in Genesis. There are also some who claim the Queen of Sheba was a native of Ethiopia. In my mind I conjured images similar to Egypt, with mud buildings and palm trees. I didn't know if either one of those images were accurate, but my curiosity had been piqued. 

But I suppose my curiosity was overshadowed by more popular civilizations—namely those in Europe and Asia. Speaking from a traveling point of view, I knew that Ethiopia wasn't exactly a tourist paradise. As a result, my interest for Ethiopia was never pursued. 

Ethiopian Restaurant.

I was excited to learn of an Ethiopian Restaurant in Salt Lake City. Until know, I hadn't even considered that an Ethiopian Restaurant existed. But I was excited. It would give me a chance to experience a bit of their culture without having to go there. 

I entered the restaurant and was met by an enthusiastic man in dreadlocks, who spoke good English, but with a hint of foreign accent. His dark skin allowed me to reasonably assume his heritage came from Africa. 

Several murals covered the walls, including one of a village and a man herding cows. I saw mud huts and palm trees, which helped validate my earlier assumptions. There was also a poster with the Amharic alphabet, an Arabian-like script used in Ethiopia. 

The menu included many foods I had never heard of, and included Ethiopian beer, coffee, and a honey wine called Tej. I just stuck with water. 

Sambusa stuffed with lentils.

I was so excited to try this new cuisine that I ordered more than I could eat. As an appetizer, I ordered sambusa, which is a fried pastry stuffed with a lentil mixture. It was served with a spicy cilantro or jalapeño sauce. 

For my main course I ordered the Taste of Mahider, described on the menu as “a dazzling array of doro wot, siga wot, alicha, and vegetarian dishes arranged on a large serving tray.” To say it is served on a tray is a little misleading. More accurately, it is served on a large piece of injera. 

In Ethiopia, injera is served with everything. In texture it is like a thick croissant, being spongy and rubbery, but with a sour flavor. The meats and sauces are then piled on top. In all, I had eleven different samples on my injera.

I can't even begin to describe what most of them tasted like. One seemed like a simple concoction of peppers and onions. Another tasted like spinach. But most were curries, either of vegetables or meat.

The alicha is a curry made of yellow split peas, onions, garlic, ginger, tumeric and other spices. I remember this one as having a pleasant mild taste. The siga wot is a red-colored beef curry with a ton of flavor and very delicious. My favorite was the doro wot, which consisted of a single drumstick cooked in a hot sauce of butter, onion, chilli, cardamom and berbere. It was placed right in the middle of the dish. 

Mural on the wall at Ethiopian Restaurant.

I couldn't tell you the name of any of the other piles of food on that piece of bread. One was a cheese, possibly feta cheese. Another seemed like stewed or pickled cabbage. The rest, I would say, fell into the category of a curry. All were very flavorful and most I liked. 

In Ethiopia, they don't use utensils. Instead, they use the injera. Using only the right hand (using the left is considered disrespectful), they tear off a piece, then use it to grab the food. Trying to follow suit, I did likewise. They gave me an extra piece, so I started with that, breaking off a section, then scooping up or grabbing the piles of food. When I ran out of my extra piece, I began to tear off strips of the injera from my plate, first from the outside edges. The best part came when all that was left was the curry-soaked injera in the middle. That was a true delight. 

This meal was so big, I couldn't even finish. 

If I get another chance to come to this Ethiopian restaurant, I will do it in a heartbeat. Now that I've tasted this culinary curiosity, I am determined to pursue a greater understanding of this mysterious (to me) African country. Perhaps one day I will even go there. ♠

Sampling of Ethiopian foods served on injera.